Embodiments of the inventive concept relate generally to semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor memory devices including three-dimensionally arranged memory cells.
A 3D-IC memory fabrication process that has memory cells stacked in 3 dimensions may be used to increase memory capacity.
The 3D-IC memory fabrication process includes a punch-and-plug process in which multiple thin layers are sequentially stacked on a substrate and then penetrated to form plugs. The punch-and-plug process may increase memory capacity without a drastic increase in manufacturing costs.